While some of the Mariners used pink bats to promote breast-cancer awareness, Saunders — just called up from Tacoma on Thursday — didn’t receive one of the special bats.

So he wore pink wrist bands on his arms and a feeling of pride in his chest when he slugged his first home run and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored to help the Mariners snap an eight-game losing streak.

“Getting one today was really special, with my mom in the stands,” Saunders said. “She’s been through a lot for the last 11-12 years, battling cancer and everything. So not only was it special for me to hit a home run, it was more special that she was here to see it.”

Jane Saunders has been battling various forms of cancer since Michael was 11. She’s had four different stints with the disease, which recently returned again.

“It started with breast cancer and kind of went from there,” he said. “They recently found some more in her lower back, but she’s doing well. She’s fought and beat worse before. She’s a strong woman and she’ll keep fighting.”

Saunders hit .221 for the Mariners in 46 games last season, but never quite lived up to expectations of an organization that sees him as one of its bright young prospects.

He started this season in Tacoma, but got the call last week when Milton Bradley was placed on the restricted list. He’s now gone 3-for-6 in two starts and cleared the fence in right-center in the fourth inning Sunday off Ervin Santana.

Saunders said he’s more relaxed this time up and said the whole team seemed to feel a burden lifted Sunday.

“I’ve only been here a couple days, but it reminded me a lot of last year,” he said.

As for Saunders? He’s well aware there are tougher things than hitting and catching a ball, no matter how many people are in the stands or watching on television, a fact driven home again by the presence of his mom in the stands Sunday as she sat keeping score behind home plate, just as she’s done at all his games since Little League.

“We get a chance to go out there and play baseball every day and we’re blessed in that matter,” he said. “If you have a rough day at the plate or in the field, there are a lot of things that are 10 times worse out there. It really puts things in perspective for me.”

Saunders said he’d gotten his home run ball back and was going to give it to his mom. Although it’s safe to say, being in the park to see her son hit his first big-league home run was probably a pretty good Mother’s Day gift already.